Title 49—Transportation--Volume 1
PART 366—DESIGNATION OF PROCESS AGENT
§ 366.1   Applicability.
The rules in this part, relating to the filing of designations of persons upon whom court or Agency process may be served, apply to for-hire and private motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders and, as of the moment of succession, their fiduciaries (as defined at 49 CFR 387.319(a)).
§ 366.1T   Applicability.
These rules, relating to the filing of designations of persons upon whom court process may be served, govern motor carriers and brokers and, as of the moment of succession, their fiduciaries (as defined at 49 CFR 387.319(a)).
§ 366.2   Form of designation.
(a) Designations shall be made on Form BOC-3—Designation of Agents—Motor Carriers, Brokers and Freight Forwarders. Only one completed current form may be on file. It must include all States for which agent designations are required. One copy must be retained by the carrier, broker or freight forwarder at its principal place of business.
(b) All Motor Carriers, Brokers, and Freight Forwarders that are registered with FMCSA on September 30, 2016 must file their Form BOC-3 designation by no later than April 14, 2017. All other Motor Carriers, Brokers, and Freight Forwarders must file the FORM BOC-3 designation at the time of their application for registration. Failure to file a designation in accordance with this paragraph will result in deactivation of the carrier's USDOT Number.
§ 366.2T   Form of designation.
Designations shall be made on Form BOC-3, Designation of Agent for Service of Process. Only one completed current form may be on file. It must include all States for which agent designations are required. One copy must be retained by the carrier or broker at its principal place of business.
§ 366.3   Eligible persons.
All persons (as defined at 49 U.S.C. 13102(18)) designated as process agents must reside in or maintain an office in the State for which they are designated. If a State official is designated, evidence of his or her willingness to accept service of process must be furnished.
§ 366.3T   Eligible persons.
All persons (as defined at 49 U.S.C. 13102(18)) designated as process agents must reside in or maintain an office in the State for which they are designated. If a State official is designated, evidence of his or her willingness to accept service of process must be furnished.
§ 366.4   Required States.
(a) Every motor carrier, except a motor carrier operating exclusively in Alaska or Hawaii, must designate process agents for all 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia, unless its operating authority registration is limited to fewer than 48 States and DC. When a motor carrier's operating authority registration is limited to fewer than 48 States and DC, it must designate process agents for each State in which it is authorized to operate and for each State traversed during such operations. Every motor carrier operating in the United States in the course of transportation between points in a foreign country shall file a designation for each State traversed. Every motor carrier maintaining a principal place of business and operating exclusively in Alaska or Hawaii must designate a process agent for the State where operations are conducted.
(b) Brokers. Every broker shall make a designation for each State, including DC, in which its offices are located or in which contracts will be written.
(c) Freight forwarders. Every freight forwarder shall make a designation for each State, including DC, in which its offices are located or in which contracts will be written.
§ 366.4T   Required States.
(a) Motor carriers. Every motor carrier (of property or passengers) shall make a designation for each State in which it is authorized to operate and for each State traversed during such operations. Every motor carrier (including private carriers) operating in the United States in the course of transportation between points in a foreign country shall file a designation for each State traversed.
(b) Brokers. Every broker shall make a designation for each State in which its offices are located or in which contracts will be written.
§ 366.5   Blanket designations.
Where an association or corporation has filed with the FMCSA a list of process agents for each State and DC (blanket agent), motor carriers, brokers and freight forwarders may make the required designations by using the following statement:
I designate those persons named in the list of process agents on file with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
§ 366.5T   Blanket designations.
Where an association or corporation has filed with the FMCSA a list of process agents for each State, motor carriers may make the required designations by using the following statement:
Those persons named in the list of process agents on file with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration by ________ (Name of association or corporation) and any subsequently filed revisions thereof, for the States in which this carrier is or may be authorized to operate, including States traversed during such operations, except those States for which individual designations are named.
§ 366.6   Cancellation or change.
(a) A designation may be canceled or changed only by a new designation made by the motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder, or by the process agent or company filing a blanket designation in accordance with § 366.5. However, where a motor carrier, broker or freight forwarder's USDOT Number is inactive for at least 1 year, designation is no longer required and may be canceled without making another designation.
(b) A change to a designation, such as name, address, or contact information, must be reported to FMCSA within 30 days of the change.
(c) Whenever a motor carrier, broker or freight forwarder changes it name, address, or contact information, it must report the change to its process agents and/or the company making a blanket designation on its behalf in accordance with § 366.5 within 30 days of the change.
(d) Whenever a process agent and/or company making a blanket designation on behalf of a motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder terminates its contract or relationship with the entity, it should report the termination to FMCSA within 30 days of the termination. If process agents and/or blanket agents do not keep their information up to date, FMCSA may withdraw its approval of their authority to make process agent designations with the Agency.
§ 366.6T   Cancellation or change.
A designation may be canceled or changed only by a new designation except that, where a carrier or broker ceases to be subject to § 366.4T in whole or in part for 1 year, designation is no longer required and may be canceled without making another designation.